Strangers and Friends is the second episode of season 2 of the television series The Wheel of Time, and the tenth episode overall. It premiered on September 1, 2023 on Prime Video.
Synopsis[]
Official episode synopsis for Strangers and Friends from Prime Video:
At the White Tower, Egwene meets a new royal friend as she wrestles with her jealousy of Nynaeve, Mat finds comfort in a drinking companion, and Liandrin approaches Nynaeve with an enticing offer. Rand attempts to settle into his new life in Cairhien by moving on from Egwene, while visions of past events haunt Perrin as he and the Shienarans investigate the mysterious death of a Fade. Moiraine and Lan continue to struggle to find common ground on their journey.
Plot summary[]
Cold Open / Prologue[]
Cairhien[]
Rand looks out upon the Foregate of Cairhien. His hair is still cropped extremely short. From behind him a woman embraces him and tells him he owes her room and board. He laughs and says that he cannot afford her 'rates', so he must go to work.
Moiraine Damodred, Lan Mandragoran and Verin Mathwin[]
Moiraine and Lan are still healing from the attack by the Fades. Moiraine coldly rebuffs Lan's advances to tell him what is going on, asking him to ask Tomas to saddle Aldieb for her. Verin reveals that she has figured out that Moiraine is working with - or for - the Dragon Reborn, though she does not know exactly which young person it is. Moiraine is alarmed and considers attacking Verin with her belt knife, but Verin notices and allays her fears with some well-chosen words about understanding the need for the Dragon Rebornto make whole what was broken 3000 years ago. Moiraine relents, though she traps Lan into staying behind as she goes on a mission of her own devising. He asks her if they were ever equals in their quest, and she says clearly that they were not.
Perrin Aybara, Loial, and the Shienarans[]
Perrin and the Shienarans search for the Horn of Valere. Uno grouses about Elyas' slow pace, but Ingtar points out that it is difficult to track from horseback. They come across an abandoned manor house where Perrin has another vision of what has happened in the past. Elyas catches him staring in confusion and tells him it is useful to be able to separate visions from reality. Perrin angrily brushes past him. Uno tells Ingtar they have found something interesting: a Fade nailed to a door. They surmise that it was done, or at least started, while the Fade was still alive, leading to concern about what could do that to a Fade. Ingtar says they will sleep elsewhere tonight, looking worried.
Tar Valon[]
Nynaeve and Liandrin observe an Accepted using Healing on a little girl with breakbone fever. Liandrin pockets a vial of crimsonthorn root powder, used to alleviate pain. She continues to try to persuade Nynaeve to let her help her in her studies and training; she tells Nynaeve that when her Sisters ask Nynaeve to advance to Accepted, she should "say yes". Liandrin then leaves suddenly, which prompts Nynaeve to follow. She eventually comes across Liandrin in a small room administering the crimsonthorn to an old man. Liandrin notices her spying and becomes enraged, threatening to kill her if she does not leave or if she tells anyone what she has seen. Nynaeve says she thought Liandrin was going to use the crimsonthorn to kill him, and clarifies that it will not work on what is ailing the old man; his heart and palsy are from something else. Liandrin forces her to leave, and then weeps over the man, who is revealed to be her son, grown old while her use of the One Power keeps her young and healthy. Despite his suffering, the man reaches his hand feebly to comfort his mother's grief.
Mat Cauthon, still imprisoned by Liandrin elsewhere, finally succeeds in excavating a brick from the wall of his cell, only to reveal another cell. However, Min peers back at him from there. She refuses to say why she is imprisoned, only claiming that she went to work an inn in Tar Valon and was noticed by "a Sister who likes to drink". She asks Mat if he is imprisoned by Liandrin as some sort of sexual kink, but he retorts that he thinks she prefers her men 'dead'. Min scoots through the gap they eventually form between their cells, and shares a skin of wine with him. However as she is departing back to her cell, she sees a vision: Mat stabbing Rand with a dagger. She does not tell him what she saw, though he notices something happened.
Elsewhere in the Tower, Sheriam, Alanna, Maksim and Ihvon discuss Liandrin's proposal to have Nynaeve test for Accepted. None of them fully trust her motives, but for different reasons. Sheriam points out acidly that in the Hall when they vote, only Alanna will be able to voice her opinion, not all three of them. Then she notices Alanna's travel bags and muses that maybe not even Alanna will be there to vote. After Sheriam leaves, Maksim asks if she wants to stay for the vote, but Alanna shakes her head.
Egwene notices a great number of servants moving large red pillows and belongings into the novice quarters, and meets Elayne. Elayne starts out misunderstanding Egwene's bare room as evidence that she has also newly arrived, but pivots smoothly and begins to make friends with Egwene. She mentions Cadsuane Melaidhrin and Elena Katab as an example of the type of legendary friends that can be born from novices in the Tower. She also reveals that she has worked out how to brew an alcoholic beverage using the One Power as an aid; she "likes to tinker with things". When the alcohol loosens Egwene's tongue, she voices her frustration with Nynaeve's seeming ease at advancing and gaining fame while she studies and struggles diligently, only for Nynaeve to overhear at a crucial moment and stalk away angrily. Elayne gently rebuffs Egwene's jealousy, saying that she has a lot of experience with knowing when people are jealous and that it does not suit Egwene.
Cairhien[]
Rand goes to work, which turns out to be an insane asylum. He gently and patiently cares for a veteran of the Aiel War with wikipedia:PTSD who accuses him of being an Aielman, even though it becomes obvious Rand has this discussion with him every day. A cruel worker of the asylum, Yann, makes a loud noise that reduces Errol to flashbacks and tremors. Rand comforts Errol and tells him that Yann caught them by surprise, but they will be ready next time. He asks Errol what he would do if he had his sword, and Errol walks Rand through a series of sword forms.
Later that night, Rand stalks Yann through the Foregate until he can catch him unaware and beats him savagely. When Rand begins to channel saidin unconsciously he breaks off the attack and flees to Selene's inn. He claims he wants to be alone but Selene tells him that people pull away when they are upset, even though what they most need is company. Rand refuses her advances briefly but then chokes her and presses her against the wall before kissing her roughly, sublimating his anger and frustration. Selene does not seem particularly alarmed by this. Later after sex, she tells him that she uses him to remember an old lover, and asks him what he thinks about. He says that he is trying to forget someone he can't let go of. She accepts that they can use each other in this way, and snuggles closer.
The next day, Rand is given a new assignment at the asylum, since Yann is unavailable; he will be tending to the higher-class inmates in the garden area, including Logain Ablar. Rand introduces himself, claiming that he and Logain may have a lot in common.
Toman Head[]
Perrin and the Shienarans find a village to bed down in, though the party is divided on the appeal of lionfish. Loial is a big fan of the subtle flavors brought out by fermenting the fish. Elyas claims he will sleep better under the stars, and urges Perrin to leave this "pack" behind, as they are not his true place. Perrin goes inside anyway. After falling asleep, a sneak attack by Seanchan soldiers wakes him and the others up, throwingf the entire town into turmoil. Uno, Ingtar, Masema Dagar and the other Shienarans, as well as Loial and Perrin, put up a valiant resistance but are eventually brought down by a pair of damane. The next morning the town's inhabitants are made to kneel as High Lady Suroth's palanquin is brought into town on the shoulders of dozens of da'covale. Riding on the palanquin with Suroth and her Truthspeaker is The Man, though Perrin does not recognize him in his human form.
Tar Valon[]
Liandrin, still incensed from her earlier encounter with Nynaeve, nevertheless wakes her and summons her to another part of the White Tower. Nynaeve is fearful until she reaches their destination, where Sheriam and Leane wait. Liandrin introduces Nynaeve as one who will face her fears and go through the three arches to test for Accepted status.
Appearances[]
Cast and characters[]
Starring:
- Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred
- Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran
- Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al'Meara
- Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere
- Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor
- Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara
- Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon
- Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand
- Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw
- Hammed Animashaun as Loial
- Priyanka Bose as Alanna Mosvani
- Jennifer Cheon Garcia as Leane Sharif
- Fares Fares as Ishamael
- Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin Guirale
- Emmanuel Imani as Ihvon
- Álvaro Morte as Logain Ablar
- Taylor Napier as Maksim
- Natasha O'Keeffe as Selene
- Meera Syal as Verin Mathwin
Co-starring:
- Gregg Chilingirian as Ingtar Shinowa
- Guy Roberts as Uno Nomesta
- Arnas Fedaravicius as Masema Dagar
- Gary Beadle as Elyas Machera
- Karima McAdams as High Lady Suroth
- Nila Aalia as Adeleas
- Heikko Deutschmann as Tomas
- Rima Te Wiata as Sheriam Bayanar
- Jessica Boone as Alwhin
- Nasser Memarzia as Errol
- Iris Peynado as Missus Amudee
- Darragh O'Toole as Yann
- Marie-France Alvarez as Celestin
- Vladimír Javorský as Aludran
- Esther Ayo James as Accepted
- Salle Salée as Novice #1
- Raquel Cipriano as Novice #2
- Daisy Kosmider as Red Sister
- Marie Pressová as Young Girl Patient
- Pavel Boušek as Husband
- Zdenek Gloser as Sanitarium Patient #1
- Anna Sklaschikova as Sanitarium Patient #2
Mentioned or referenced characters:
- Arinvar
- Cadsuane Melaidhrin
- Elena Katab
- Lan's carneira
- The Queen of Andor, Elayne's mother
Groups[]
Locations[]
- Arad Doman
- Arafel
- Cairhien
- City of Cairhien
- Cairhien sanitarium
- Foregate
- City of Cairhien
- Tar Valon
- Northharbor
- White Tower
- Toman Head
Mentioned locations:
- Chachin
Objects[]
Events[]
- Battle of Atuan's Mill
Concepts and powers[]
- Channeling the One Power
- Perrin and Elyas' connection to wolves
- Min's viewings
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- The title is the same as the fifteenth chapter
(book spoilers!) of The Eye of the World (book spoilers!).
Gallery[]
Promotional stills[]
Videos[]
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| Episodes |
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Season 1
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External links[]
- Strangers and Friends at the Internet Movie Database
